2015 most polarised year after Partition: Chidambaram

The year past was perhaps the most polarised in India’s history after Partition in 1947, former finance minister P. Chidambaram said on Friday.

"The year did not end with the narrative of the economy. Instead, it ended with the narrative of intolerance, of confrontation, with more and more people apprehensive and insecure," Chidamabaram said here at the launch of his latest book "Standing Guard — A Year in Opposition".

"The year 2015 was perhaps the most polarised year of India’s history after Partition in 1947," he said.

Declaring he was proud to be in opposition, which, however, did not mean "being an enemy of the government", Chidamabaram cited Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar to say "a king without a critic will fail. A king must embrace his critic, listen to him and must fear the day when he has no critic".

The audience at the packed Teen Murti House here also included former prime minister Manmohan Singh.